Several human rights groups criticised the government after Nuon Toeun was arrested and deported for allegedly criticising Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, on social media.

It was reported that Nuon Toeun was being held at a prison in Phnom Penh after being charged with inciting to commit acts that disturb social security, and inciting discrimination.

Subang MP Wong Chen, who chairs the parliamentary committee on international relations and international trade, said his committee and the parliamentary committee on human rights, election and institutional reform held a meeting with the immigration department on Nov 12 to discuss the matter.

Wong said they agreed to meet again before the current Parliament session ends in mid-December, but no dates have been set.

“What happened to Nuon Toeun is a failure of natural justice, but the silver lining is that the immigration department has shown readiness to reform its standard operating procedures,” he told a press conference today.

“During the meeting, immigration officials agreed that some elements of fairness and natural justice must be in place.

“Nuon Toeun was deported for a breach of immigration rules just two days after her arrest. We are proposing a longer deportation process to enable the intended deportee to have access to lawyers and NGOs to challenge contentious and politically motivated deportation.”

Wong said that due process and access to legal advice are basic human rights which should apply to Malaysians and foreigners within Malaysia’s borders.

He also said that local authorities should be trained to be alert and sensitive to matters related to transnational repression, which refers to actions taken by governments to suppress dissent and silence opposition beyond a state’s physical jurisdiction.

Wong, who also chairs the Malaysian chapter of the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, said Malaysia must play a bigger role in championing human rights when it assumes the Asean chairmanship next year.